NYC - Time's up

2nd article - NYC

The snow started to melt in NYC (temperature are still below 0 Celcius, but the salt and the traffic helped a lot)! However, some of you guys will have difficulties to free their vehicles, good luck!


Photos above: bicycle under the ice on Broadway and sight of Lower Manhattan from Williamsburg.

I discovered an interesting website : if you want to have a more environmentally friendly way of life, go and check Green Map. You will find a list of the best initiatives for our planet in NYC and also many other cities!

For those who are interested, here is an article from Smart Growth America regarding the best initiatives for Streets Policies in 2014. 

I found this post through the NY Bicycling Coalition website, an organization that advocates pro-bicycle policies and funding at all levels of government.


2nd meeting for Le Pari Velo, with Time's Up : 

This week I had the chance to meet up with Simon from Time's Up. They were  holding a free bicycle mechanics workshop (photos above). They are located under Williamsburg bridge in Brooklyn. This event reminded me of the classes I took at Harbour Cycle in London, to prepare for my cycling adventure Le Pari Velo, and it also reminded me of the Velorution workshop in Paris.

TIME'S UP! is a grassroots environmental group that uses educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city. For 25 years, TIME'S UP! has worked to educate people about the environmental impacts of everyday decisions, from the food we buy to the means of transportation we use.

Why is it called Time's up ? Simon explained to me that 27 years ago, when the organization was created, it was already very urgent to do something against pollution, to organize actions and campaigns for our planet. Since then, this pioneer organization has always been of great interest for the New Yorkers.

Simon joined the volunteer's team in 2005, as he wanted to learn how to fix his bike, and then transmit his knowledge to others. He takes part in the free and slow bike rides organized by Time's up.

They carry an environmentally friendly message (they are involved in local community gardens etc), they promote the Do It Yourself against the US disposable culture, and they promote cycling as a means of transport (photo above: vending machine with tools for bicycles).

Simon tells me that he doesn't attend the Critical Mass anymore (Velorution), as he thinks some of the participants don't carry exactly the same message as himself (different motivations). During Occupy Wall Street, Time's up lent the protesters some of their own Bike powered electricity generators. The New York City Fire Department -FDNY- had considered that the gas generators used until then were too dangerous.

According to him, many actions were undertaken by the City of New York lately in favor of cyclists, promoting this means of transport. There is an increasing number of bike groups and workshops. Simon mentionned the success of cooperatives such as the Bike Pirates of Toronto and the Durham bike Coop in Carolina.

Simon's next goal is to teach how to build a bicycle frame and therefore create your own bike from scratch!


Any questions, comments ? Feel free to ask!

See you soon,

Nicolas



FRANCAIS : 2e article - NYC

La neige a fondu en grande partie mais certains auront beaucoup de mal a liberer leurs vehicules, bon courage!

Photos ci-dessus: velo enseveli sur Broadway et vue de Lower Manhattan depuis Williamsburg

J'ai decouvert un site tres interessant pour prendre des habitudes "ecolo" : Green Map. On y trouve la carte des initiatives bonnes pour la planete a NYC et egalement de nombreuses autres villes. 

Pour ceux qui seraient interesses, voici l'article du site Smart Growth America sur les meilleures initiatives en matiere de design urbain pour 2014. 

J'ai trouve cet article par le biais de la NY Bicycling Coalition, qui agit a plusieurs niveaux pour promouvoir le velo (New York Bicycling Coalition advocates for pro-bicycle policies and funding at all levels of government)!


2e rdv, avec l'association Time's Up : 

Cette semaine, j'ai eu la chance de rencontrer Simon de Time's Up, lors d'un cours gratuit de mecanique velo qu'il enseigne (photos ci-dessus). L'association occupe un local sous le pont de Williamsburg a Brooklyn. Cet espace m'a rappele les cours que j'ai suivi a Harbour Cycle a Londres, en preparation du Pari Velo, ou egalement les ateliers Velorution a Paris.

TIME'S UP! is a grassroots environmental group that uses educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city. For 25 years, TIME'S UP! has worked to educate people about the environmental impacts of everyday decisions, from the food we buy to the means of transportation we use.

Time's up est une association environnementale locale qui eduque, sensibilise et met en oeuvre des actions concretes en faveur d'une ville durable et moins toxique. Depuis 25 ans, Time's up organise des campagnes de sensibilisation concernant nos styles de vie, nos choix de consommation (nourriture), nos decisions en matiere de transport, et leurs impacts environnementaux.

Pourquoi le nom Time's up (C'est le moment / Le temps est ecoule!) ? Simon m'explique qu'il n'y avait deja "plus de temps a perdre", avant de mener des actions concretes pour arreter de polluer, quand l'association a ete creee il y a 27 ans (pionniere a NYC). Des lors, elle n'a pas cesse de susciter l'interet de nombreux New Yorkais.

Simon a integre l'equipe des benevoles en 2005, souhaitant apprendre a reparer lui-meme son velo, puis transmettre son savoir. Il participe aux balades a velos de l'association, gratuites et accessibles a tous. Time's up porte un message simple de protection de l'environnement, de developpement durable (jardins et potagers locaux), de promotion du Do It Yourself (fais le toi-meme), contre la culture "jetable" aux Etats-Unis, et enfin de promotion du velo comme mode de transport (photo avec le distributeur d'objets et d'outils pour velo, ci-dessus).

Simon m'explique qu'il ne participe pas a la Critical Mass (Velorution), car selon lui certains participants tres revendicatifs ne transmettent pas le meme message que lui. Pendant le mouvement Occupy Wall Street, Time's up a fourni aux manifestants des velos-generateurs d'electricite fabriques par les membres de l'association (Le New York City Fire Department -FDNY- avait fait retirer les generateurs a gaz du rassemblement, trop dangeureux...).

Selon Simon, de nombreuses actions ont ete menees par la ville de New York ces dernieres annees en faveur des deplacements cyclistes. Il y a egalement un nombre croissant de cooperatives/ateliers velos. Simon me parle du succes des Bike Pirates de Toronto et de la Cooperative velo de Durham en Caroline.

Le prochain projet de Simon est d'enseigner comment monter un cadre et ainsi fabriquer son propre velo!

Des questions, des commentaires ? N'hesitez pas!

A bientot!

Nicolas